Can opener



F. S. CHESS March 11, 1958 CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 15, 1955 March 11, 1958 F. s. CHESS CAN OPENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 15, 1955 CAN OPENER Frank s. Chess, Redwood City, Calif.

Application September 15, 1955, Serial No.- 534,515

8 Claims. (Cl. -'-6.1)

This invention relates to canopeners, and more particularly to a unique device for simultaneously forming a dispensing outlet and an .air inlet in sealed metal containers expeditiously and with a minimum of effort.

A prime purpose of the present invention is the provision of an inexpensive rugged can opener designed for wall mounting and operable through a single short stroke to punch a pair of diametrically opposed openings in the top of a container for liquids. A special feature of. the device is the compact arrangement of the simple operating mechanism and including a novel clutching device for receiving and gripping the top rim only of the can for the short interval required to puncture the top. Not only are the unsightly base and pedestal of can openers as heretofore proposed eliminate-d, but cans of any height Whatever and of all diameters now in use can be mounted within the self-gripping jaws of the present invention. moreover, the mere shift of a size selector knob sufiices to adjust the jaws to receive a can of a diiierent size.

It is therefore aprimary object of'the present invention to provide a novel manually operated can opener adapted to receive and automatically grip the rim of a can and featuring unusual compactness, simplicity, ruggedness, exceptional service life, inexpensive construction, ease of operation, and instant adjustability to cans of different diameters without regard to their height.

Another object is'the provision of a can opener having a single operating member arranged to punch a small air vent immediately adjacent one rim of the can and a somewhat larger dispensing opening immcdiately adjacent the opposite rim with the severed tab of each openingextending inwardlyfrom the edges located closest to the axis of the can.

Yet another object is the provision of a unique clutch for gripping and supporting a can to be opened from the diametrically opposed rim edges of the end to be opened.

Still another object is the provision of a can opener having a gripping clutch for the top rim which is readily adjustable to cans of widely differing diameters and to rims of various configurations and constructions.

A further object is the provision of a compact manually operated can opener of the punch type having means for automatically retracting the punch members within the housing when not forcibly extended into their punching position.

Numerous other objects and advantages of: the invention will become apparent from the following detailed specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating preferred embodiments, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken along line 1, 1 on Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the opener showing a newly opened can clamped in place and viewed alongline 2, 2 on Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view taken along line 3, 3 on Figure 2 and showing how the clamping jaws are spaced to hold the can locked in punching position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of the cam operator used to adjust the clamps and punches for'cans of dilierent sizes;

Figure 5 is. a fragmentary isometric view of one of the punch operating cams as viewed along line 5, 5 on Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a front view of the opener showing the selector control to adjust for cans of difierent sizes;

Figure 7 is a top plan view of an alternate construction with the top wall of the housing broken away for greater clarity;

, Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view along line 8, 8 on Figure 7 showing the punches in partially lowered position and a can clamped in place between theclamping jaws; and

Figure 9 is a vertical sectional view taken along line.

9, 9 on Figure 8 showing the operating handle partially depressed in full lines and nearly retracted in dotted lines.

According to a preferred embodiment of my inventionas illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, the can opening device.

comprises a combined cover and main frame generally designated 10. Secured to the back rim of this housing as by screws 12 is a cover plate 11. This structure may be detachably supported from a Wall or door by means of a wide strap 1 3 having its lateral ends secured to cover 11 as by spot-welding to form a downwardly opening.

recess to receive a heavy duty mounting plate 15 provided with holes, not shown, at its lower edge for attachment to a Wall or cabinet. It will, of course, be evident that mounting plate 15 is first secured to the wall after which the can opening device may be detachably mounted upon it by bringing the upper end of plate 15 into alignment with the open lower end of the mounting recess formed between bracket 14 and rear wall 11 of the can opening device. Accordingly, after use of the device it maybe removed from the wall for storage elsewhere, if

so desired, merely by lifting it vertically ott mounting 16 are arranged to urge the jaws 260i the can clamping.

means 23 as wellas the punch operating cams away from the side walls of housing 10 and toward one another along the shaft. At least one of springs 19 is also arranged to act as a torsion spring to urge shaft 16 to rotate and elevate operating handle 17 thereby retracting the punches upwardly within the confines of housing 16. To this end, the right-hand spring 19 is shown as having end 20 engaged behind pin 21 carried by shaft 16. The opposite end 22 of the spring projects into an opening in the upper end of jaw member 23. It will, of course, be evident that the lefthand spring 19 may be similarly constructed, although this may be a plain compression spring inasmuch as a single one of the springs acting in torsion is adequate to elevate the handle and retract the punching.

devices.

The cam clamping jaws comprise a pair of identical elements 23, 24 having enlarged openings 25, 25 at their upper ends to permit rotation therein of the non-circular shaft 16. These oversize openings also permit free sliding movement as well as limited vertical adjustment of the jaws to accommodate rims of varying size on the tops of cans to be opened. The lower ends of members 23, 24 have accurately formed inwardly extending tangs 26, 26 for engagement with the side wall of a can immediately Patented Mar. 11, 1958 beneath the bead 27 at either end of a metal can and formed by the joint between the cover and the side wall of the can. As best shown in Figure 3, tangs 26 project radially further than their mid portions to accommodate the curvature of the usual tin can and in order to provide two pairs of circumferentially spaced points of engagement with the can rim.

A pair of strong springs 29, 29 urges the lower ends of the clamping jaws toward one another and against stops provided by pairs of notches 3d, 30 in the outer ends 28 of L-shaped members 33, 33. The slight play between the various parts just described permits the jaws to open sufficiently to receive or release a can top, whereupon springs 29, 29 cooperate with tangs 26 to center the can therewithin and to grip it firmly and positively.

Case-hardened can punching members 31, 32 are welded to the lower side of horizontal legs 28, 28 of a pair of L-shaped strips 33, 33. The upright legs of these strips are provided with elongated slots 34 in order that the same may move vertically with respect to shaft 16 and so that the shaft may rotate freely with respect to legs 33. Punch members 31, 32 are similar but of somewhat different size. Each has a pointed lower end and sharp cutting edges along its inclined sides as an aid in severing the can top in a manner well known in the art. Larger punch 31 is intended to form the dispensing opening while smaller punch 32 provides an adequate air inlet vent.

Note that the pointed ends of each punch are accurately spaced slightly inwardly from the free edges of tangs 26 so as to enter the can closely adjacent the inner side wall of the can as best shown in Figure 2. In consequence, tabs 35, 35 struck inwardly from the can top are spaced at considerable distance from the side wall so as not to interfere in any way with the dispensing of the entire contents of the can.

The means for driving punches 31, 32 downwardly through the top of a can comprises a pair of identical cams 36, 36 having non-circular openings extending therethrough corresponding to the non-circular cross-section of shaft 16. Hence, the cams are slidcable along the shaft but are constrained to rotate therewith when lever 17 is manipulated. As best shown in Figure 5, cams 36 consist of eccentrically mounted cups having their rims facing one another. Tangs 37, 37 integral with the upright legs of L-shaped brackets 28, 28 embrace the rims of cams 36. Consequently, brackets 33, 33 together with the punch elements 31, 32 secured thereto are caused to reciprocate vertically as shaft 16 is rotated.

The means for adjusting the punches and the clamping jaws to cans of different sizes will now be described by reference to Figures 1, 2 and 4. Although it is but necessary to move a single punch and clamp assembly along shaft 16 to accommodate cans of different sizes, the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to moves both pairs of jaws and punches by the simple expedient of rotating a shaft 40 and the multiple position cam 41 rigid therewith. As in the case of shaft 16, shaft 40 is preferably non-circular in its central portion and mates with a similar opening through cam block 41. The latter is readily slideable along shaft 40, but of course cannot rotate about it. The rear end of the shaft is supported in back wall 11 while its L-shapecl forward end carries a control knob 42. This knob can be manipulated to shift the cam to any one of its three positions. A stiff compression spring between the inner end of the shaft and the back side of wall 11 suffices to hold the shaft and cam 41 in any of its adjusted positions.

As made clear by Figures 2 and 4, cam block 41 has three pairs of parallel surfaces 44, 45 and 4.6, each pair of which is spaced a different distance from the axis of shaft 40. Any pair of surfaces is operable to engage the upright ends of brackets 33, 33 and to force them further apart in opposition to springs 19, 19 when shaft 40 is rotated in one direction or to permit brackets 33 to move toward one another when the shaft is rotated 4 in the opposite direction through a small arc. A large cutout 48 on the under side of cam block 41 permits the block to straddle shaft 16 and to be held in proper operating position along shaft 40 without the need for set screws or other fastening devices.

Operation The mode of operation will be readily understood from the foregoing detailed description of the structure. Normally, operating handle 17 will be held elevated by torsion spring 19 and punches 31, 32 will be fully retracted within the housing in readiness for a can opening operation. Accordingly, the operator merely grasps the can in one hand and slides it transversely across the underside of plates 23 in a path midway between jaws 26, 26. As the back rim of the top engages the foremost tangs of the jaws, they will be forced apart in opposition to springs 29 until the maximum diameter of the can has by-passed the forward pair of tangs. Thereupon, springs 29 will act automatically to center the can between the tangs on each jaw and virtually lock the can against removal except by reversal of the movement used upon inserting the can between the jaws. At this point, the operator grasps knob 50 of the operating handle with the other hand and rotates it downwardly through a small arc. As this occurs, cams 36, 36 rotate to depress punches 31, 32 which pierce the top of the can directly opposite the inner surface of the side wall and strike triangular tangs 35, 35 from the top downwardly into the interior of the can. As the operator relaxes his grasp of knob 50, torsion spring 90 rotates the shaft in the opposite direction to retract the punches into the housing and to a point slightly above the top of the can, the retraction being accomplished in a positive manner by the action of cams 36 on tabs 37 integral with plates 28 to which the punches are welded. The operator then slides the can forwardly from between the clamping jaws 23 and 24 and dispenses the contents as desired. The latter flow freely from the larger opening as air enters through the small vent opening on the opposite side of the can.

Figures 7 to 9 show a second embodiment of the invention having certain elements which are similar in function and structure to those of the first embodiment. For convenience, these are designated by the same reference characters distinguished by a prime. In this form, the main body or frame lit is formed by a pair of reversely nested cupped casings 50 and 51. The flat rear Wall of this housing may be detachably supported on the kitchen wall by means of a stirrup strip 52 over which a tongue 53 integral with the top of casing 5t) can be hooked. The ends of strip 52 may be secured to the wall as by screws 54. If desired, the opener may be locked in place on the wall by a locking tab 55 slideably carried on the top of casing 55 and having its rear end engagable in an opening 56 of a vertically extended portion 57 of strip 52. As shown in Figure 9, the device is locked in its mounted position on the wall and can be unlocked by pulling tab 55 to the left out of hole 56.

Non-circular shaft 16 extends crosswise of housing 10 but need not rotate since the operating handle for the punches is supported independently of this shaft. The punch 31 for forming the dispensing opening and punch 32 for the vent opening are generally similar to those described above but have extensions 55 projecting upwardly through slots in the top of the housing. The upper ends of these extensions are perfectly connected by pins 56 to an intermediate portion of an operating lever 57. Each extension 55 has an elongated slot 58 to permit reciprocal movement of the extensions relative to shaft 16'. Hence, the slots cooperate with the shaft to provide a guide for the punch members as they are raised and lowered by the operating handle 57. The rear end of the U-shaped operating handle may be connected to the rear of the housing by a pair of swinging links 59 here shown as having their lower ends pivotly connected to the lower interior side of housing The top of casing 50 is, of course, provided with suitable slots such as slots 60 in Figure 8 for the movement of extensions 55 and links 59.

Punch members 31, 32' extend through suitable cutout openings 61 in the bottom wall of casing 51 when the operating handle is depressed. Normally, of course, the operating handle as well as the punches attached thereto are held retracted within the housing by a pair of tension springs 62 connected between shaft 16 and links 59 in a manner to hold operating handle 57 raised and the punches retracted within the housing 10.

The can clamping jaws 23', 24 are generally similar to those described above and have pairs of inwardly extending tangs 26' projecting toward one another on a plane spaced slightly below the lower surface of housing member 51 as best shown in Figures 8 and 9. The upper ends of the clamping jaws are loosely mounted on shaft 16 and are held pressed against stops 63 struck from the sides of shaft 16 by means of light gage compression springs 64 encircling the opposite ends of shaft 16'.

Operation of second embodiment The operation of the second embodiment is generally similar to that of the first described construction in that the operator merely presses a can to be opened horizontally across the underside of housing half 51 at a point between clamping jaws 2.3, 24'. During this operation, of course, springs 62 hold the punches retracted within the housing so as not to interfere with the insertion or withdrawal of the can. Springs 64 allow the clamping jaws to spread sufiiciently to pass between the pairs of locking tangs 26' as their ends press tightly against the side walls of the can immediately below the bead of the can cover. As soon as the can is properly centered, the operator grasps the knob portion of handle 57 and pulls it downwardly causing the punches to pierce the can cover and deflect the severed tabs 35' downwardly and toward the interior center of the can. As the operator relaxes his grasp of the handle, springs 26 retract the punches and the handle so that the operator may withdraw the can by sliding it forwardly from beneath the opening device.

It will be appreciated that the second embodiment is slightly simpler and more compact than the first but does not incorporate the adjustment feature to accommodate different size containers.

While I have described but two embodiments of my invention, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that the structure as a whole, as well as its components, may be varied in numerous respects without departing from the novel principles disclosed above.

I claim:

1. Opening mechanism for metal cans comprising; a housing having a unitary operating handle pivotally supported thereon, a plurality of clamping jaws projecting toward one another from the lower side of said housing and adapted to clutch a can thereagainst by engagement with the opposed rim edges of the can top, vertically movable sharp-edged punch means operatively connected to said unitary handle and movable thereby to punch a pair of diametrically spaced openings through the top wall of a can clamped between said jaws, and resilient means strongly urging the lower ends of said clamping jaws toward stops located between said jaws and permitting said jaws to move away from one another to receive or discharge a can rim from therebetween and for firmly gripping a can rim when inserted between said jaws.

2. Opening mechanism for metal cans as defined in claim 1 including resilient means strongly urging the lower ends of said clamping jaws toward stops located between said jaws and permitting said jaws to move away from one another to receive or discharge a can rim from therebetween and for firmly gripping a can rim when inserted between said jaws.

3. Opening mechanism for metal cans as defined in claim 1 including; manually operable means for adjust ing said stops for said clamping jaws in different positions whereby said jaws are adapted to receive and clamp cans of different widths.

4. In combination, a device for punching vent and dispensing openings in the top of a metal can for beverages and liquids and adapted to receive the top end of a can as the same is moved transversely across the under side of the device, said device comprising; a housing having a shaft extending thereacross above its lower side, a pair of spaced apart punches extending downwardly, means connected between said punches and said shaft for moving the latter through a vertical path as said shaft is rotated, a lever extending from said shaft for pivoting the same, and a pair of can gripping jaws spaced closely beside the remote sides of said punches and having tangs projecting toward said punches, said tangs being engageable beneath the rim edges of a can top to support the can firmly and immovably as the top is punctured by the lowering of said punches.

5. The combination defined in claim 4 wherein at least one of said jaws is spring-pressed toward the other jaw and means for moving one of said jaws toward and away from the other to accommodate cans of different widths.

6. The combination defined in claim 5 wherein said punches are spaced closely adjacent the facing sides of said jaws so as to pierce a can top immediately beside the inner side wall thereof, and wherein the punch adjacent said movable jaw is shiftable axially of said shaft and along with the jaw associated therewith.

7. In combination, a manually operable can opener having a housing provided with a substantially flat lower surface, a pair of can clamping jaws protruding below said lower housing surface adapted to engage the rim edges of a can to hold the same firmly gripped against said housing surface, a shaft extending across said housing in spaced relation to said lower surface, a pair of sharp-edged punching members having elongated openings for the reception of said shaft, means normally holding said punches retracted within said housing, and lever means associated with said shaft and including means operable by said handle to depress said punches as permitted by said elongated openings to punch a plurality of openings in a can top, each of said punched openings being immediately adjacent a rim edge of the can with one opening serving as a dispensing opening and another as an air vent.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 wherein said can clamping jaws have a cam-shaped forward edge which cooperates to form a diverging opening to receive a can top as the same is pressed between said jaws, and said jaws having a cut-out rearwardly of said cam-shaped forward edges for receiving, centering and firmly seating a can as the can is pressed thereinto whereby the can is held in proper position for opening by said punches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

